Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin - is a dесеntrаlіѕеd fоrm of сryрtосurrеnсy, perhaps the most widely known and recognised in mainstream. As other cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin is nоt rеgulаtеd by a fіnаnсіаl іnѕtіtutіоn оr thе government. Aѕ such, unlіkе opening a trаdіtіоnаl bank account, you dо not need long list рареrwоrk ѕuсh as an ID to еѕtаblіѕh whаt'ѕ knоwn as a Bitcoin wаllеt. You need to get one tо purchase and access yоur Bіtсоіnѕ, аnd tо send Bitcoin tо other іndіvіduаlѕ and vendors.

• Fast settlement in Blockchain like technology - they can handle 1000 settled transactions per second
• Has strong connections with banks - including on their public blockchain
• They sell XRP directly to banks and other institutions

Cons of XRP

• Ripple owns 67.75% of their XRP which means they basically have a whole lot of control over how much the prices increase
• XRP works closely with banks which means that if you're looking to unstabilise the financial system, XRP won't be much help to you

Litecoin (LTC)

Lіtесоіn - is one of many decentralised online currencies. It can be used to make online purchases and transactions, such as website development, ordering jewellery or buy subscriptions. The great thing аbоut Lіtесоіn іѕ thаt they рrоvіdе mеrсhаntѕ wіth a quick аnd еаѕу wау tо ассерt mоnеу. All рауmеntѕ are rесоrdеd vіа оnlіnе ѕуѕtеm knоwn аѕ thе blockchain.

Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

Bitcoin Cash - is a hard forked version of the original Bitcoin. It is similar to bitcoin with regards to its protocol, Proof of Work SHA-256 hashing, 21,000,000 supply, same block times and reward system.

Pros of Bitcoin Cash

• The faster block generation coupled with the sheer volume of transactions results in a fee structure that is beneficial for both miners and users
• Bitcoin Cash prioritizes transaction speed over maintaining complete decentralization, making it an attractive option for merchants and users who need faster-confirmed payments
• Bitcoin Cash is highly efficient in preventing replay attacks

Cons of Bitcoin Cash

• Due to the computing power that is required to mine larger blocks, there are some concerns that large mining groups might end up with a disproportionate amount of power and control over the network
• Despite sharing the same core technology and transaction history as Bitcoin, so far the market is still treating Bitcoin Cash as one of the generic altcoins clones
• It still has very low acceptance compared to Bitcoin

Zcash (ZEC)

Zcash (ZEC) is another Crypto currency like bitcoin but with a few different features. Like Bitcoin it is based on a decentralised blockchain but allows for anonymity behind transaction amounts and parties involved. In Bitcoin if you know someone's address you can follow their transactions and you can see which all the addresses and their transaction amounts - so it’s quite clear how much money is moving around, with ZCash all the information is encrypted.

Pros of Zcash

• The Zcash has designed a new technique that guarantees your anonymity. They projected a proof of construction algorithm, called zk-snark which assure your transactions with highest security
• The enterprise was funded by private investors; this means that we can exclude the situation where the blockchain is manipulated
• Nobody can take the custody on your own tokens
• High security is the main principle of the company

Cons of Zcash

• Many of transactions need a large amount of computer memory
• Zcash’s privacy is stronger when you operate transactions between Zcash cryptocurrencies
• Zcash provides multi-signature transactions, but these aren’t more secure than Bitcoin’s technique

Ethereum Classic (ETC)

Ethereum Classic is an open-source, public, blockchain-based distributed computing platform featuring smart contract (scripting) functionality. It provides a decentralized Turing-complete virtual machine, the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which can execute scripts using an international network of public nodes. Ethereum Classic and Ethereum have a value token called 'ether', which can be transferred between participants, stored in a cryptocurrency wallet and is used to compensate participant nodes for computations performed in the Ethereum Platform. The classic ether token is traded on cryptocurrency exchanges under the ticker symbol ETC. Gas, an internal transaction pricing mechanism, is used to prevent spam on the network and allocate resources proportionally to the incentive offered by the request.

Pros of Ethereum Classic

• Stayed true to the original vision of what a blockchain is supposed to be. What is the point of an immutable ledger if it can be changed at the whim of the community?
• Potentially more upside potential for investors. Naturally, this is a high-risk investment but there are some influential backers of the project such as Barry Silbert of the Grayscale Investment Trust

Cons of Ethereum Classic

• Doesn’t have the EEA who are working on created decentralised applications for its blockchain
• No longer has the lead Ethereum developers who came up with the idea of Ethereum in the first place
• Some consider it to be backed by those that are opposed to the entire Ethereum project itself

Cardano (ADA)

Cardano is an open sourced multi-layered blockchain-based computing platform developed by IOHKthat can be used for both financial transactions and distributed computing. Cardano’s native cryptocurrency token is ADA and its platform can be used to create and run smart contracts, DApps, and more.

Pros of Cardano

• The first project, which passed the technological test by leading scientists of the entire planet
• Power consumption of transactions verifying is significantly reduced, due to the use of the innovative mining algorithm Ouroboros
• The platform is written in the Haskell programming language, which is considered the most protected language in terms of hacker attacks and critical programming errors
• Integration of the platform with a lot of common financial applications

Cons of Cardano

• The need for continuous development and regular changes that sooner or later can lead to errors and bugs
• Strong competitors - despite the Ethereum shortcomings, its developers are constantly working to improve the project
• Extended periods of implementation stages of development

Stellar Lumen (XLM)

Stellar is an open-source, decentralized network for exchanging money and other assets, backed by a non-profit foundation, the Stellar Development Foundation. The native asset of Stellar is the Lumen. Lumens (XLM) play a small anti-spam role on the Stellar network. Stellar aims to provide low-cost financial services to a broad and global base of individuals. To that end, 95% of the initial supply is slated to be given away by the foundation to individuals and non-profits.

Pros of Stellar Lumens

• Decentralized platform
• Equal rights for all network users
• Instant transactions
• Multicurrency and support of many financial and banking systems, such as IBM
• Network security due to encryption and node autonomy

Cons of Stellar Lumens

• No mining: all tokens have already been created
• Strong competitors - despite the Ethereum shortcomings, its developers are constantly working to improve the project
• The Stellar system defines the threshold of entry: you can become a user of the platform if you have 20 XLM on your wallet balance. This decision was made only for the purpose of additional protection platform from spammers attacks.